There are litigation storm clouds above Castel Gandolfo in Italy, in order to possibly stop the Catholic Church from using the name Pope Emeritus, who also happens to be a rapper in Oakland, California. If true (and it sounds too good to be), a trademark still would not give a monopoly on words. It only allows exclusive rights to sell your goods and services free from interference by a competitor who may confuse your customers or in an extreme circumstance, tarnish your brand image or blow the distinction between you (as a source) and the new user. So there should be no immediate worry that we have to replace “Pope Emeritus” with a term like “The Cleric Formally Known As Pope.” …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest